Chaudhry said on June 4 at the end of an official visit to Washington that Pakistan does not discuss nuclear issues with Saudi Arabia and insisted Islamabad's atomic weapons only serve Pakistan's defense.

He said reports that Pakistan could sell or transfer nuclear arms or advanced technology to another country are "unfounded and baseless."

Pakistan, which is thought to have a nuclear arsenal of around 100 weapons, is known in the past to have shared nuclear weapons technology with Iran, Libya, and North Korea.

Some world powers are concerned that Saudi Arabia or other Middle Eastern countries could seek Pakistan's help to match Iran's growing nuclear capabilities.

But Chaudhry said Pakistan has significantly cracked down on proliferation in recent years by improving export controls and providing UN monitors with all necessary information.

Pakistan detonated its first nuclear weapon in 1998, shortly after India.